WILMINGTON - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal
court on July 8, 2011, Senior United States District Judge James C.
Fox sentenced five defendants in an extensive methamphetamine
trafficking ring in Sampson County. CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL CONNELLY,
38, of Dunn, North Carolina, received 185 months’ imprisonment;
MICHAEL STEPHEN NORRIS, 30, Lillington, North Carolina, 147 months’
imprisonment; BRANDON GREENWOOD, 28, of Angier, North Carolina, 300
months’ imprisonment; and father and son, JOHN TAYLOR TYER, 50, of
Dunn, North Carolina, and JACOB SCOTT TYER, 26, of Erwin, North
Carolina, received 226 months’ imprisonment and 132 months’
imprisonment, respectively.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on July 16, 2010, charging the
defendants. Each defendant pled guilty to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, dispense and
possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a
detectable amount of Methamphetamine. Additionally, GREENWOOD pled guilty to unlawful
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and JOHN and JACOB TYER each pled guilty to
possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, entitled
“Speedbump,” initially began in 2005 after law enforcement received repeated complaints
regarding drug activities at CONNELLY’s Dunn residence. According to the investigation, evidence
was obtained through seized contraband during traffic stops, surveillance, and pharmacy records,
which established that the defendants manufactured and distributed the meth.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug
Enforcement Administration, the North Carolina State Bureau of
Investigation, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnston
County Sheriff’s Office, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, the
Coats Police Department, the Erwin Police Department, the Clayton
Police Department and the Dunn Police Department. Assistant United
States Attorney Jennifer Wells prosecuted the matter on behalf of
the United States.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at
www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.

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